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Night-time aircraft noise increases prevalence of prescriptions of antihypertensive and cardiovascular drugs irrespective of social class—the Cologne-Bonn Airport study

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Abstract

Aim

To investigate the impact of aircraft noise on prescription prevalences of cardiovascular drugs in the vicinity of a major German airport with respect to social gradients.

Methods

Spatial aircraft noise level data were derived from all individual flight data of Cologne-Bonn Airport for the year 2004, utilizing those 6 months with highest air traffic density. Individual prescription data of 809,379 persons insured with compulsory sickness funds were linked to address-specific noise data (air traffic, road traffic, train traffic). Multivariate logistic analyses were conducted on quartiles of night-time aircraft noise (3.00–5.00 a.m.), adjusting among others for noise from other sources, age, density of nursing homes and stratifying by quartiles of prevalence of social welfare recipients in community quarters.

Results

Increases of prescription prevalences in general were more pronounced in females. Analyses showed moderate noise-dependent increases of odds ratios for antihypertensive drugs and cardiovascular drugs. More pronounced effects were seen for those persons who received prescriptions for drugs from different groups of drugs (antihypertensive drugs and cardiovascular drugs, antihypertensive and cardiovascular drugs and anxiolytic drugs). In the latter group odds ratios reached maximum values of 3.733 (95% confidence interval: 2.505–5.563) in males and of 3.941 (95% confidence interval: 3.107–4.998) in females. Increases were found in all social strata.

Conclusion

Night-time aircraft noise increases the prevalence of prescriptions for antihypertensive and cardiovascular drugs, especially when prescribed combined and in conjunction with anxiolytic drugs.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grant 205 51 100 of the German Federal Environment Office (UBA), and by additional grants from the Rhein-Sieg Kreis, the Ärzte-Initiative für ungestörten Schlaf e.V., Siegburg, and by grants from the following communities: Hennef, Lohmar, Neunkirchen-Seelscheid and Siegburg.

Quality assurance.

A quality assurance task force gave advice to the principal investigator (E.G.) throughout the conduct of the study. It comprised the following scientists: Prof. Dr.Dr. H.-E. Wichmann, Institute of Epidemiology, GSF, Oberschleißheim (Chair); Prof. Dr. Ursula Ackermann-Liebrich, Swiss School of Public Health, Zurich, Switzerland; Prof. Dr. K.-H. Jöckel, Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Essen University Hospital, Essen; Dr. Wolfgang Babisch, Federal Environment Office, Berlin; Dr. A. Samel, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Cologne (until 3 November 2006).

Conflict of interest

The authors confirm that there are no relevant associations that might pose a conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epi.Consult GmbH, Hackfeldstr. 21, 28213, Bremen, Germany

    Eberhard Greiser & Claudia Greiser

  2. Institute for Public Health and Nursing Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Bremen University, Bremen, Germany

    Eberhard Greiser

  3. Center for Social Policy Research, Bremen University, Bremen, Germany

    Katrin Janhsen

Authors
  1. Eberhard Greiser
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  2. Claudia Greiser
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Correspondence to Eberhard Greiser.

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Greiser, E., Greiser, C. & Janhsen, K. Night-time aircraft noise increases prevalence of prescriptions of antihypertensive and cardiovascular drugs irrespective of social class—the Cologne-Bonn Airport study. J Public Health 15, 327–337 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-007-0137-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-007-0137-x

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